Lake Region Pioneer Threshermen's Ass'n. - Dalton, MN

Annual Show  Dates

Friday, Saturday, Sunday of the weekend following Labor Day weekend

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Copyright 2012     LRPTA-Dalton
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                                       2012 FEATURE
The name "Minneapolis-Moline" first appeared in 1929, upon the merger of three well-established farm equipment makers:  Minneapolis Steel and Machinery (MS&M), Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company (MTM), and Moline Plow Company (MPCo).  The combined firm was known as the Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company (MMPICo).  

Moline Plow was the oldest of the three firms, and was founded in Moline, Illinois in 1865 as Candee, Swan & Company.

Minneapolis Threshing Machine was the descendent of McDonald Manufacturing Company of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, MTM being incorporated in 1887.  Their specialty was threshers, for which they won the Gold Medal at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

Minneapolis Steel and Machinery, formed in 1902, was the youngest of the three merger partners.  

MS&M began with the fabrication of steel for buildings, bridges and mills, and Twin City stationary 
steam engines.

The strongest products of each of the three companies meshed very well into MMPICo. - MS&M Twin City tractors, MTM threshers, shellers and combines, MPCo plows, cultivators, planters and drills.  Industrial operations were on Lake Street in Minneapolis (tractors), in Hopkins (harvesting
machines), and in downtown Moline (implements).  Thus, a truly full-line farm machinery emerged from three short-line firms and their sales and dealer organizations grew, ready for business.  But the stock market fell.

In spite of the Great Depression, MMPICo introduced many new products during the 1930s:  the
Harvester combine, light weight and high capacity; the labor-saving Huskor, 1 and 3 row corn
pickers; and the Model Z tractor with its simplifies engine design, which advertised 140 fewer parts  than similar engines.  Special tractors were built for industrial and orchard applications, and
MMPICo stationary engines replaced steam in mills and gins, on pumps and winches.

In the early 1050s, Mineapolis-Moline Company bought BF Avery Company of Louisville, which traced its roots back to 1825.  With its line of smaller tractors and Southeastern dealer network, the Avery products complemented the M-M line.

As radical as the UDLX, another M-M product changed how farmers harvested crops - the Uni-System.  The Uni-Tractor was a front-drive, rear-steer skeleton which carried a wide variety of harvesting machines: corn husker, combine, baler, picker-sheller and forage harvester.  The farmer had the advantage of many self-propelled machines without the extra cost of multiple engines and drives.  

(The Uni design was sold to New Idea, who developed it into many larger machines, primarily for the seed corn industry.)

In about 1960, it seemed everybody brought out a full new line of farm machines, and M-M was no
exception.  Power steering, torque amplifier, 3-point hitch, live PTO and live multiple hydraulic
outlets became commonplace.  Horsepower was increased to the incredible 100 horsepower range.  
Factory-built front wheel assist debuted with M-M in 1962, followed by a fully articulated four 
wheel drive tractor in 1969.  Special versions of the Jet Stat series were built for orchard use.  

The M-M product line for the 60s included crawlers, backhoe-loaders, forklifts and power trains for 
many kinds of specialty paving machines.  The Cold War saw the production of M-M military tractors, aircraft tugs and electronic test equipment.  Although M-M had been the industry leader in LP-gas tractors, by the late 1960s diesel prevailed with the exception of stationary power applications, here natural and LP gas held firm.  

As the industry consolidated in the 1970s, the M-M era ended.  The White Farm organization bought M-M and Oliver-Cockshutt then stopped producing those marques in 1974.  But the big M-M LP and
natural gas engines were still built for pumping and other stationary uses.  Engine production was  
moved to Rusellville, Arkansas, and continued in the late 1980s.  After further corporate shuffles,  
M-M is now part of the AGCO family heritage.  And AGCO has purchased the New Idea, so the Uni-System actually went full-circle.